Focus ST small fuel tank

"Kate's Dirty Sister" (KDS)
04/05/2015 at 19:39 • Filed to: None

I've been enduring this for 20 months, but now I need to speak out.

With a full tank, I'm only good for 300km, which is like 190 miles.

Question: is it only the ST or all Focus?

Seriously, that's a very short range.

DISCUSSION (33)

Brian Silvestro > Kate's Dirty Sister
04/05/2015 at 19:40

how many gallons is that

GTI MkVII > Kate's Dirty Sister
04/05/2015 at 19:44

I love my GTI to pieces, but was similarly disappointed to find it only has a 13 gallon tank. Depending on driving style (and let's admit it - these cars are meant to be driven spiritedly), I'm lucky to see 250 miles before the gas light is on.

To be fair though, the gas light is super conservative in the car. Still has about 2.5 gallons left when it comes on.

KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs > Brian Silvestro
04/05/2015 at 19:45

Ford says 12.4 US gallons. At least according to their website.

PanchoVilleneuve ST > Kate's Dirty Sister
04/05/2015 at 19:45

I average 230 miles or so.

The tank is pretty small.

SVTyler > Brian Silvestro
04/05/2015 at 19:46

12.4, so dude's only getting around 15mpg.

dogisbadob > Kate's Dirty Sister
04/05/2015 at 19:46

Yeah, why did they do that? Especially since the European version does have a larger gas tank :/

K-Roll-PorscheTamer > Brian Silvestro
04/05/2015 at 19:46

12.4 -_-

944 has a bigger tank.

CB > Brian Silvestro
04/05/2015 at 19:47

It says 12.4 gallons from what I can see. But that also means that's 15 miles per gallon, from my shitty math.

K-Roll-PorscheTamer > Kate's Dirty Sister
04/05/2015 at 19:47

Only 190?? God, you're worse than me!

KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs > SVTyler
04/05/2015 at 19:49

Right, which means there's something seriously amiss. I mean, I have a 1.6L turbo four in my Mini and still manage 30MPG or thereabouts on a 14 gallon tank.

Even the city mileage for a new ST is 23mpg (US).

Aya, Almost Has A Cosmo With Toyota Engine Owned by a BMW. > Kate's Dirty Sister
04/05/2015 at 19:49

I have a friend who owns Daihatsu Copen. She only had 10.5 gallons fuel tank.

M54B30 > Kate's Dirty Sister
04/05/2015 at 19:52

a Mustang i rented a few years ago had a siniliarly small gas tank. How freakin' annoying

Brian Silvestro > KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs
04/05/2015 at 19:55

I think the Fiesta is around 12 gallons

SonorousSpeedJoe > Kate's Dirty Sister
04/05/2015 at 19:55

The regular Focus that I DD (SE hatchback, 5-speed) has a range of about 350 miles, as I average around 26-30 MPG on a full tank with my commute.

pitstop_pitowski > Kate's Dirty Sister
04/05/2015 at 19:56

Wow, what type of driving conditions? I usually get anywhere from 250 to 300 miles in range under average driving conditions (mixed city/highway). I have a 2014 Focus ST. Additionally my overall average (I keep records of all service) for my first year with the car is 25 miles per gallon. The ST for this model year holds 12 gallons but probably a bit more with the fuel lines and such. One last thing, I do mostly city driving and stop and go stuff. My highway numbers have ranged from 42 mpg down to 31 mpg depending upon how fast I drive or where I drive (two lane or four lane separated highways for instance).

Kate's Dirty Sister > K-Roll-PorscheTamer
04/05/2015 at 19:57

I rounded the numbers, maybe 200 miles, but that's fucking short

SVTyler > KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs
04/05/2015 at 19:57

Yeah no kidding, my Focus gets 24mpg city with a bigger engine and no turbo. Wonder if it's an error in the mileage calculator thing (not sure of the technical term), don't really imagine you could lose 40% of your fuel economy due to mechanical reasons without a bunch of other red flags.

KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs > Brian Silvestro
04/05/2015 at 19:58

Ford says it's the same size tank as the Focus. 12.4 gallons.

pitstop_pitowski > Kate's Dirty Sister
04/05/2015 at 19:58

http://www.focusst.org/forum/focus-st…

K-Roll-PorscheTamer > Kate's Dirty Sister
04/05/2015 at 19:59

Gotta be dat turbo. I can flog the 944 around all week and break 250 miles easily. But it does have a 16 gallon tank.

desertdog5051 > Kate's Dirty Sister
04/05/2015 at 20:00

This might be of help. http://www.edmunds.com/ford/focus-st/…

pitstop_pitowski > pitstop_pitowski
04/05/2015 at 20:00

One last thing, I promise. ;-) I only use 93 octane fuel. BP and other gas stations have this option. Once on a road trip I had to use 91 octane but that was maybe one or two fill-ups.

KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs > SVTyler
04/05/2015 at 20:02

Well, you do lose 40% of the economy if you drive like a child with Le Boost, all the time.

So there may be something to be said about *how* this example is driven. Since this appears to be a Canadian instrument cluster with the language set to French (Bonjour, M. Québecois!) I'm really wondering where in QC it would even be possible to be able to spool the boost without finding:

A stoplight

The Police

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > Kate's Dirty Sister
04/05/2015 at 20:04

Ah that's not so bad, but I guess that sounds low for a modern car.

The range on my pickup is 280 to 330, depending on how the carburetor feels that week.

Battery Tender Unnecessary > Kate's Dirty Sister
04/05/2015 at 20:14

weird. I regularly get 400+ miles out of my Fiesra ST. I can't imagine the Focus gets galf that.

SVTyler > KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs
04/05/2015 at 20:14

That actually makes a lot of sense, combine that with optimistic fuel economy estimates on Ford's part (the forums are full of people complaining) to begin with and that might do it.

nafsucof > dogisbadob
04/05/2015 at 20:47

European has a donut for a spare and a higher rear floor allowing the larger tank...

samssun > Kate's Dirty Sister
04/05/2015 at 21:36

12.4 gallons is a ridiculously small gas tank. Don't know if these tiny tanks are driven by packaging or to convince people they're paying less for gas, but man having 18.7 gallons in my Z is nice, even using premium and getting 16-17 mpg around town.

Kate's Dirty Sister > Brian Silvestro
04/05/2015 at 22:02

12.4

Kate's Dirty Sister > pitstop_pitowski
04/05/2015 at 22:03

i tried 94 (petro-canada) no difference

Kate's Dirty Sister > Battery Tender Unnecessary
04/05/2015 at 22:04

its not about fuel cunsomption, it's about the the size of the tank

wafflesnfalafel > Kate's Dirty Sister
04/05/2015 at 22:49

One problem with hot hatches - small car, big motor = short range. You just gotta drive faster!

AM > SVTyler
04/06/2015 at 10:06

Of course there is lots of people complaining, that's usually what happens when your cars don't get anywhere close to what the manufacturer claims they will.